Wire handle and cover-fastener for grape-baskets, &amp;c.



, F. B. TOWNSEND.

WIRE HANDLE AND covER FASTENER EoR GRAPE BASKETS, 6w.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.31, 1914.

1,125,212, Patented Jan. 19, 1915.

A'I'I'ORN EY- ream; B. TOWNSEND, or rnmr zen, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOB or ONE-HALF 'lJO JOHN E.

Merr am, or PENN YAN, NEW YORK.

' HANDLE AND oovnn-rasrnnnn ron GRAPE-EBASKETS, .&o.

Patented J an. 19, 1915..

Application filed March 81, 1914. Serial No. 828,641.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK B. TOWNSEND,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Penn Yan, in the county of Yates and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Wire Handle and Cover-Fastener for Grape-Baskets, &c., of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in wire handles and cover fasteners for grape baskets and analogous receptacles.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of wire handles for grape baskets and to provide a simple, strong, and inexpensive wire handle adapted to be easily and rapidly applied to a basket without hooking it through the same beneath the upper reinforcing strips or hoops, and capable of completely embracing the top hoops whereby it is securely fastened to the basket and is effectually prevented from becoming disengaged therefrom by an accidental blow upon the top of the handle.

A further object of the invention is to provide a wire handle of this character, capable of engaging the cover of a basket and firmly and securely holding said cover flat against the upper edges of the basket.

The invention also has for its object to provide a wire handle which will not have to be sprung inwardly prior to placing the cover in position, in order to secure the necessary clamping action thereon, whereby the baskets will be of a uniform size to provide tight package and to eliminate the objectionable feature of spreading the basket to apply the cover thereof and leaving the contents in a loose condition after the cover has been applied.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in the construction and novel combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and-minor details of construction, within the scope of the claims, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the in-v vention.

In the drawing: Figure 1 is a perspective transverse sectional View of the same. Fig.

3 is a detail sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the handle detached. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one side of a handle, illustrating another form of the invention. Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view of one side of a basket provided with a-wire handle illustrating still another formof the invention.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings. s

In Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive of'the accompanying drawing, in which is illustrated the preferred embodiment of the invention, 1

designates a wire handle formed from a curing the handle to the sides of a grape basket 6 or other receptacle. The inclined shoulders 4. extend upwardly and inwardly over the cover 7, whlch is held flat against the upper edges of the basket. The cover is provided at opposite sides with centrally arranged approximately U-shaped notches or recesses 8, which are adapted to straddle the side portions of the wire handle, and which also enable the cover to be placed in position with a slight outward sprmging of the handle. The handle is sprung outward as the cover passes the lateral bends of the sides, and the said handle regains its former position as soon as the cover is placed in position beneath the inclined shoulders 4, which hold the cover tightly against the upper edges of a basket. By this construction it is unnecessary to compress or bend the handle inwardly prior to placing the cover in position in order to secure the necessary clamping action for holding the cover firmly in place. Each clamp is composed of an upwardly tapered loop 9 and a contrally arranged coacting arm or jaw 10 having a terminal prong-11 bent approximately at right angles and disposed trans= versely of the basket, and adapted, when pressure is ap lied to the clamp, to pierce the side of the asket below the upper hoops and project into the loop, as clearly shown in Fig. 2'of the drawing. The upwardly forms the inclined shoulder 1, and the arm orjaw extends from the other side of the loop. The upward taper of the loop arranges the coacting arm or aw centrally with relation to the sides of the loop, and the it said loop provides a broad bearing and is adapted to prevent the clamp tromtwisting or tilting on the basket when pressure is applied for forcing the coacting members of the clamp into engagement with the side of be compressed by machine, a pair of pliers, a hammer, or any other suitable means, and when compressed tightly against the ininvention, in which the handle is provided the basket. The members of the clamp may terior and exterior of the basket, they com- 7 2o pletely embrace the upper reinforcing strips or hoops 12 and 13 and securely fasten the handle to the basket, so that there is no liability of the handle becoming detached from the basket by an accidental blow upon the top of the handle. In practice, the wire handle will be shaped by a wire bending machine or other suitable means and the arm or jaw will be set at an angle to the loop to arrange the terminal prong clear of the go loop, so that the handle may be placed in position on the sides of a basket by a single movement, without hooking it through the basket or beneath the reinforcing strips or hoops. This will enable the handle to be applied to the baskets more rapidly than where it is necessary to hook the attaching portions through the basket, or where more than one movement is necessary to arrange the engaging portions of a handle in posi- 4t) .tion to be operated on by the pressure applying means. The end of the prong 11 is arranged to enable it to readily pierce the side of the basket, and the side or jaw is connected with the loop by a top bend 1 1 which rests upon the upper edge of the basket.

Instead of arranging the loop interiorly of the basket, the wire handle may be provided with an exterior loop 15, as shown in 5 Fig. 5 of the drawing. In this form of the The wire is then bent to form the loop 15,

and the-coacting side or jaw 18, which is provided with a terminal prong 19.

In Fig. 6 is illustrated another form of the with an interiorly arranged loop 20 of the formheretofore' described, connected at one side with a lateral bend 21 of the handle, and

at the other side with acentrally arranged coacting side or jaw 22. The side or jaw 22 ing side or jaw 22. The side or jaw 22, which is connected with the loop 20 at the top of a bend 23, is bentinwardly at the,

lower end to provide a transverse terminal prong 24, which pierces the side of the hasket and is embedded in the bottom thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. A handle of the class described comprising a transverse grip portion, downwardly extending inwardly-converging sides provided at their lower ends with bends forming outwardly and downwardly inclined shoulders, and integral clamps including loops connected at one side with the said bends and coacting sides or jaws extending downwardly from the other side of the loops and having transversely disposed inwardly-turned terminal prongs for piercing the basket.

2. A handle of the class described com-.

prising a transverse grip portion, downwardly extending inwardly-converging sides provided at their lower ends with bends forming outwardly and downwardly inclined shoulders, and integral clamps including upwardly tapered loops connected at one side with the said bends and centrally arranged coacting sides or jaws extending downwardly from the other side of the loops and having transversely disposed terminal prongs for piercing the basket.

3. A handle of the class described comprising a transverse grip portion, sides extending downwardly from the transverse grip portion, and integral clamps consisting of loops connected at one side with the sides of the handle and jaws extending down- FRANK B. TOWNSEND.

Witnesses:

JOHN'H. SIGGERS, EDITH L. BROWN. 

